Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
In fact, the expert thinks that Trump may have done irreparable damage to the geopolitical scene.
After the U.S. attacked Venezuela and took the dictator, Nicolas Maduro, the entire world has been trying to figure out, what comes next.
The military operation, which lasted only a couple of hours, was a clear sign that Trump has revived the so-called Monroe Doctrine (which he himself renamed the Donroe Doctrine during a news conference) and that the current U.S. administration is going to enforce the centuries old doctrine with a modern twist.
The Monroe Doctrine was introduced in the 1820’s by the then-president, James Monroe, and it stated that the official U.S. foreign policy was to warn European powers against further colonization of the Western Hemisphere.
According to ABC News, Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, doubled down on Trump’s vision, stating that “we’re not going to allow the Western Hemisphere to be a base of operation for adversaries, competitors and rivals of the United States”.
And even though, the doctrine is focusing on the Western Hemisphere, a british security and defence expert warns that the recent geopolitical events show that no one in Europe is safe anymore.
The old system is over
Professor Anthony Glees, a security and defence expert from the University of Buckingham, told Daily Mirror, that Trump has basically thrown away decades of rules established by the U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt and his British ally, Winston Churchill, where respect for sovereignty was key.
“This system has not only prevented a nuclear armageddon since 1945 it has projected American power globally, allowing the USA to effectively win the Cold War and dominate world politics,” Prof. Glees said.
But now, the professor says, Trump has thrown it all out of the window, and it might be impossible to ever restore it.
What it means for Europe
The Donroe Doctrine is most likely aimed at Russia and China (Maduro is a long-time ally of Putin), but that does not mean that Europe can sleep safely.
After the operation in Venezuela, Trump has repeated his desire to make Greenland part of the U.S., stating that it is a matter of national security, and he has also threatened Colombia with possible military power.
Prof Glees, however, is more worried that Trump’s actions in Venezuela might encourage authoritarian regimes like Russia and China to pursue their own doctrines of asserting political dominance by removing national leaders in other countries in order to establish spheres of influence.
“No one in Europe is safe, in any kind of strategic sense because Putin will not stop at destroying Ukraine’s sovereignty if Europe proves incapable of enabling the brave Ukrainians to defeat the vile Russian dictator on the battlefield. He will come for us next,” the professor warns.
Sources: ABC News, Daily Mirror, Reuters, AP
